Sesame Street—Old School: 1969-1974, Volume 1

Sesame Street sparked a revolution in children's programming, a groundbreaking experiment in which elements of commercial television were employed to motivate children to absorb curriculum content. This series, a flagship for PBS since its debut on November 10, 1969, has been a safe haven for generations of children (think of it: Richard Nixon was president and the Beatles were still together when that first episode aired). This Grade-A box set contains the opening episodes from each of Sesame Street's first five seasons, including the very first words spoken by Gordon: "You've never seen a street like Sesame Street. Everything happens here. You're gonna love it." "Everything" included baseball legend Jackie Robinson reciting the alphabet; Carol Burnett speaking in praise of the nose; a gold medallion-wearing, mutton-chopped Jesse Jackson leading a chorus of children in his stirring and inspiring free-verse poem, "I Am Somebody"; and Johnny Cash serenading Oscar the Grouch with the whimsical "Nasty Dan." A couple of surprises in the first episode: Oscar was orange, and Big Bird, initially Sesame Street's breakout character, was portrayed as "a very nervous bird." But for the most part, Sesame Street arrived fully formed, from its urban setting to its multi-ethnic, multi-generational, and multi-Muppet ensemble. It is a testament to the show's creative team that these five episodes (and the generous sampling of bonus classic clips) are just as entertaining and educational as when they first aired, as preschoolers are taught letters, numbers, body parts, and days of the week, as well as how to act like good friends, family members, and neighbors—all in captivating bursts of live-action film, animation, songs, and silly comic vignettes. Each episode is briskly paced to hold (or, as some critics of the series contend, form) short attention spans. But some of the most memorable moments are the charming, low-key, and seemingly spontaneous segments in which a Muppet character interacts with a child. Sesame Street gets extra credit for its songs, many of which are children's standards. Included in this set are the original versions of Ernie's novelty hit "Rubber Duckie," Kermit's lovely ode to self-esteem "Bein' Green," and the rollicking count-to-12 ditty "Ladybug Picnic." Old School illustrates why Sesame Street is and will always be in a class by itself. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. (D. Liebenson)